Means for ornamenting rims



May 10, 1932; e. A. LYON MEANS FOR ORNAMENTING RIMS Filed July 11, 19302 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR 65am: 415:5?7' Ayo/v BY M A May 10, I932.

MEANS FOR ORNAMENTING RIM Filed July 11, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTORGfO/PGE 4155/97 zyo/v A RNEYS G. A..LYON 1 1,858,228

6 mium or other Patented May .10, 1932 [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEGEORGE ALBERT LYON, OF ALLENHURST, NEW JERSEY MEANS FOR ORNAMENTING RIMSApplication filed July 11, 1930. Serial N0. [167,825.

1 son rim, in which one of the side flanges adds considerably to theconsists of a band or ring removably attached to the base of the rim,only this removable ring is plated.

The rims are made from hot rolled steel and the surfaces thereof arecomparatively rough. The flanges are concavo-convex in cross section,the concave surface being on the outside of the flange. Because of theconcave form of the surface to which the plating is a plied, it isdifiicult to grind this surface an form-grinding wheels are required forthis operation. In the application of the chromium plating to the sideflange of a rim, the side flange is first copper plated, then buffed,after which a plating of nickel is applied. The surface is then againbuffed and the chromium plating is applied over the coating of nickel.Because of the difiiculty of grinding the surface of the steel andbecause of the number quired in plating the surface of the rim, theornamentation of the rims in this manner costof the same.

As such rims are now manufactured they rust quickly along. the surfaceto which the known as the Jackson plating is applied because of theabrasive action of dirt, stones and gravel thrown up by the tires.

v The 'primary object of the present invention is to produce automobilerims which will have as attractive an appearance as rims which areplated in the manner above described, which may be manufactured at lessexpense than such rims and in which the ornamental surface thereof willnot be subjest to rust or corrosion.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the noveland improved features, constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described and particularly of operations re- '10 and 12 bothof which are pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The invention will from the accompanying drawin s illustrating theinvention in its preferre forms and the following detailed descriptionof the constructions-therein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 1s a view in side elevation illustratbe clearly understood ing aconstruction embodying the invention applied to one form of rim;

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken substan tially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating in cross section the'removablering. of the rim shown in Figs. 1 and 2 at one stage in the process ofmanufacture;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding toFig. 3 illustrating the removable ringin its completed form;

Fig. 5 is a detail view similar to 4 tly illustrating a removable ringof slig modified form;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation illustrating a construction embodyingthe invention applied to another form of rim I ig. is a sectionalview'taken. substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. Sis a detail sectional view illustrating a portion of the rim withthe invention applied thereto. q I f Figs. 1, 2 and 4 illustrate theinvention as applied to a demountable rim of the type rim. Thedemountable rim indicated as a whole at 2 is adapted to be mounted upona wheel rim 4 and car- The demountries the tire indicated at 6. able rimcomprisesa base 8 and side flanges concavo-convex in cross section. Theside fiange 10 is formed integral with the base. flange 12 consists of asplit-ringmounted in a groove 14' in the base of the rim. This ringoccupies the-outside demountable rim is appliedyto a wheel rim.

In order to impart an ornamental appearance to the outer face ofthisring, an ornamental strip having a big 1y polished outer surface isposition when the preferably of thin sheet metal I The side i mounted ina groove in said ring. As shown clearly in Fig. 4, the ring 12 isprovided with. a groove 16, the bottom surface 17 of which is concavecorresponding with the cross-sectional form of the ring, and the grooveis formed with side walls 18 which converge in 'a direction outwardlyfrom the bottom Wall of the groove. .Within this groove is mounted anannular strip or rin 19 of thin flexible resilient sheet metal. he stripis made of a width somewhat greater than the minimum distance betweenthe side walls 18 measured in a straight line, and is preferably formedwith substantially a strai ht line cross section. Thus, the strip ispreferably formed so that it conforms substantially to the surface of acone.

In applying the ornamental stri 19 to the removable ring, one margin oft e strip is inserted in the groove in the angle between one side walland the base of the groove, the

. roove is g other margin of the'strip being placed in contact with theouter face of the ring adj acent the other side wall of the groove.Pressure is then exerted upon the central portion of the strip to bendthe same into concaveconvex form until the latter margin thereof clearsthe last mentioned side wall of the groove allowing the strip tobeforced into the groove. This ma be'done progressively starting at oneend 6 the ring and strip and working the strip. progressively into thegroove. Upon the release of the pressure upon the strip the resiliencyof the metal will tend to cause the same to assume. a substantiallystraight line cross section, thereby causing the edges of the strigtogrip the side walls of the groove and hol the strip firmly in positiontherein.

The ornamental strip preferably consists of stainless steel or hardbrass coated with nickel or chromium or of some other light metal whichwill not rust. The ornamental strip, however, may be made ofordinarysteel plated with chromium or nickel or other suitable coating material.This strip is made of light gauge material, preferably about .012

to .025 of an inch in thickness, and is polished before being insertedin the groove in the removable ring.

In forming the removable ring 12,.a strip of steel of the proper widthis first rolled into the cross sectional form shown in Fig.'

3 by a hot rolling-operation. The groove 16 is also formed in a hotrolling operation. In forming the groove the side walls 18 arepreferably formed so that they each extend at an angle slightly greaterthan a right angle to the bottom surface. 17 of the groove. This willenable the roll by which the groove is formed to clear the side wallsreadily during the rolling operation. After the strip is given the shapeshown in Fig. 3, and the formed therein by 'hot rolling operations, thestrip is rolled while cold into the cross sectional shape shown in Fig.4..

which they converge in a direction outwardl-y from the bottom wall ofthe groove so that the strip 19, when placed in the position shown inthe groove, will be efliciently retained in place.

Fig. 5 shows aconstruction of the removable ring in which the side walls18 of the groove respectively extend at an angle slightly'less than aright angle to the bottom wall of the groove. The construction shown inFig. 5 may be produced from a construction such as that shown in Fig. 4b rolling the projections 20 at each side 0 the groove so as to deflectthe side walls slightly inwardly toward the central portion of thegroove.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the invention is appliedto the rim of a wire wheel for automobiles such as those used upon theFord and Chevrolet. As shown in this figure the wheel comprises a hub22, a rim 24 and a series of spokes 26 connecting the hub with the rim.The rim comprises a base indicated at 28 and side flanges 30 extendingoutwardly from the base. As shown clearly in Fig. 8, each side flangecomprises a laterally and outwardly extending inclined portion 30adjacent the base, a portion 32 extending laterally and inwardly at aslight angle toward the axis of the rim and an outer portion 34extending laterally and outwardly from-the portion 32. Thus each flangeof the rim is formed with an annular recess indicated at 36.

In accordance with the present invention an annular ornamental strip 38,preferably of thin sheet metal, is ap lied to one of the side flangesof-the rim so t at it engages the side flange in the manner shownparticularly in Fig. 7. This strip is preferably made of stainlesssteel, of light gauge, preferably about .015 to .035 of an inch inthickness. The strip is rolled into the form of a ring and into theconcavo-convex cross sectional shape shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings andthe ends of the ring are secured together. The ringis made of a sizesuch that it may be fitted to the rim in substantially the manner shownin Figs. 7 and 8 and will hold itself in position through its ownresilience. In the formation of the ring, the ring is constructed withan outside diameter slightly "reater than the minimum inside diameter 0?the portion 32 of the rim. In applying the ring to the rim flange, therim is forced into the recessed portion 30 of the flange so that theinner margin of the ring enga es the ortion 30 of the flange adjacentthe ase o the rim and so that the outer margin of the rim engages theportion 32 of the rim just wit in the line of its minimum insidediameter. When forced by the peripheral forcing of the ring tion 30 ofthe rim flange thereby bending back slightly the inner margin of thering n the direction of the axis of the rim. The into the portion 32 ofto a certain degree the outer margin of the ring inwardly toward theaxis of the rim. The bending of the outer margin of the ring inwardlytends to deflect the inner margin laterally to the left, Fig. 8, andoutwardly. Conversely, the bendin g hack of the inner margin of the ringtends to force the outer margin of the ring outwardly. The pressureexerted by the inner margin of the ring upon the portion 30- of the rimflange and also the pressure exerted portion ofthe ring against theportion 32 of the rim flange resulting from the resilience of thematerial of the ring will form comparatively tight joints between thering and the rim flange which will'prevent the passage of water, sandand dirt between the ring and the rim flange.

The highly polished ring 38 imparts a highly ornamental and attractiveappearance to the rim.

In the manufacture of the rings 38, the rings are formed from a strip ofsteel of suflicientlength for the manufacture of a number of rings. Thisstrip is rolled in a mul tiple rolling machine to give the same the therim flange bends proper cross sectional shape and to form the strip intoa series of spirally arranged coils. The strip is then cut atthe properpoints to form the rings and the rings are either butt welded oroverlapped and spot welded to form continuous rings. As above stated inthe formation of the rings, each ring is so formed that its outerdiameter is sli htly larger than the minimum diameter of the portion 32of the rim which it engages.

not limited'to the particular construction and arrangement of parts ofthe illustrated embodiments of the invention, but that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the claims.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and havingspecifically described certain constructions embodying the invention inits preferred forms, what is claimed is: I

1. An automobile wheel rim having a base and tire engaging side flangesextending outwardly therefrom and an ornamental ring strip of relativelythin sheet metal applied to the outer face of one of said flanges andwith said flange to form an ornamental covering for at least a portionof said flange. l

2. An automobile rim having abase and side flanges extending outwardlyfrom said base and an ornamental resilient strip ap- 3. An automobilerim having a base and side flanges extending outwardly from said baseand a cross-sectionally flexible and re silient strip applied to one ofsaid side flanges and held in place by the resilient action of thematerial.

4. An automobile rim having a base and a side flange having an annularrecess and an ornamental ring, forced into said recess and held thereinby the resilience of the ring.

5. An annular transversely flexible and resilient ornamental strip forautomobile rims ada )ted to be applied to one of the side flanges o arim and constructed to hold itself in place by the resilient action ofthe material.

6. An ornamental annular strip for automobile rims having aconcavo-convex form in cross section and constructed and arranged to beapplied to one of the side flanges of a rim and to hold itself inposition by the resilient action of the material of said strip.

An ornamental rim having tire engaging side flanges extending outwardlyfrom said base and an annular ornamental strip of sheet metal applied tothe outer face of one of 'said flanges in concentric relation to the rimand held yieldingly in position solely by its interconnection with saidouter face of the flange. Y

8. An aiitomobile rim having a base and side flanges extending outwardlyfrom said base, formed with converging side walls and a flexibleresilient ornamental strip mounted in said groove and held in place bythe cross sectional resilienceof the material.

9. An automobile rim having a base and side flanges extending outwardlyfrom said base for engaging the tire to hold the same It is to beunderstood that the invention is on-the run, one of said flanges havingan annular recess and an annular shoulder and an annular strip ofrelatively thin sheet metal constructed to be applied to the outer faceof one ofsaid flanges and to extend into said recess and having an outermargin arranged to be expanded into contact with said shoulder to holdthe strip in said groove.

" 1.0. The combination with a wheel rim of resiliency of the bead.

11. The combination with a wheel rim of an ornamental bead therefor ofcurved transverse cross section and held in tight cooperation with therim with the rim.

Signed at New York, New York, this 24th day of June, 1930.

GEORGE ALBERTLYON.

plied to one of said side flanges on the outside thereof and held inplace action of the material of the strip.

by the resilient a base and one of said flanges having a groove solelyby its engagement

